Marker for corn-planters.



No. 742,202. PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

L. J. LINDSAY.'-

MARKER FOR CORN PLANTERS.

AP PLIOATION FILED JULY 26, 1902. RENEWED SEPT. s. 1903.

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PATENTED 00 27,1903,

L. J. LINDSAY. MARKER FOR CORN" PLANTBRS. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 26,1902. nnmwnn SEPT. 5, 1903.

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UNITED STATES.

Iatented October 27, 190$ LEROY J. LINDSAY, or SEYMOUR, IOWA.

MARKER FOR CORN-PLANTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,202, dated October27, 1903.

Application filed July 26,1902. Renewed September 5,1903. Serial No.172,178. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, LEROY J. LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seymour, in the county of Wayne, State of Iowa,

have invented a new and useful Marker for- Corn-Planters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of markers in which two marker-armsare pivotally attached to the opposite sides of the rear end portion ofthe corn-planter frame, their free ends being connected by means of arope, the parts being so arranged that when the machine is advanced inone direction across the field one of the marker-arms I projectssubstantially at right-angles to the machine frame and marks the groundfor the next row, the other arm being carried along the side of themachine-frame and above the ground,

and then when the machine-frame is turned at the end of the field themarker-arm resting upon the ground remains stationary until the otherarm drops by gravity and engages the ground-surface. Then as the planteris further turned the other arm automatically moves to a position atrightangles to the machine-frame, with its end resting on the ground,while the first-mentioned arm is automatically drawn bya rope to aposition par.- allel with the machine-frame.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this class ofsimple, durable, and inexpensive construction, in which the marker-bladeis so shaped that when being drawn across a field it cannot enter theground to such an extent as to stick in the ground, and is also soshaped that when it strikes a furrow turned at right angles to the lineof advance of the planter the said marker-blade will rise out of thefurrow and not enter the ground on the opposite side of said furrow.

A further object is to provide a device of this class in which themarker-arm may be readily and quickly adjusted as to length, so that theindicating-furrow may be made at any desirable distance from the furrowpreviously planted, and to provide means whereby in the event that themarker-arm should strike a fixed obstruction on the ground-surface itwill yield sufficiently to permit the machine to be stopped or to permitthe markerblade to ride over or around the obstruction, and as soon asthe obstruction is passed the marker-arm will automatically returnto'its former position.

A further object is to provide means for supporting the rope thatconnects the markerarms in such manner as to minimize the friction onthe rope to the end that the rope will not become quickly Worn out.

A further'object is to provide means fo connecting the marking device tothe frame of the planter, so that the device may beattached to plantersof any ordinary size or shape.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset'forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which-- Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of aplanter-machine frame having my improved marker connected therewith.Fig. 2 shows in perspective a part of the planter-runner orfurrow-opener and one of the roller-supporting brackets to serve as arope guide. Fig. 3 shows a rear elevation -of the same parts with therope in position thereon. Fig. 4 shows in perspective one of the 'rear'corners of the planter-machine frame with my improvement appliedthereto, showing the marker-arm-supporting lever in position at rightangles to the longitudinal center of the machine-frame. Fig. 5 shows alike view with the marker-arm-supporting lever extending rearwardly.Fig. 6 shows a similar view illustrating a modified frame in which thespring is dispensed with and arigid strap substituted therefon. Fig. 7shows an enlarged perspective view showing one end portion of one of themarker-arms with a marker-blade attached and also illustrating the meansfor adjustably securing the rope thereto. Fig. 8 shows a perspectiveview of the same parts, taken from the opposite side. Fig. 9 shows adetailed sectional perspective view of the opposite end of one of themarkerarms, illustrating the means for attaching the marker-arm to itssupporting-lever; and

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the metal strap used in the modifiedframe shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate the frame of the planter, 11 thesupporting-wheels therefor, and 12 the tongue. These parts are all ofthe ordinary construction, and my attachment applies equally well tomachines of different structures. One marker-arm is connected with each.of the rear corners of the machine-frame, and the marker-arms and theirconnecting means are identical, so that one only will be particularlydescribed.

The reference numeral 13 indicates a bracket secured to the frame 10 bymeans of the bolt 14 and twisted at 15, so that its rear end is at rightangles to its front end. Pivoted to the rear end of the bracket 13 is alever 16, composed of two parts riveted together, the said parts beingseparated slightly at each end. At one end the rear end of the bracket13 is introduced between the upper and lower parts'of the lever, and abolt 17 is passed through the lever and bracket to form a pivot on whichthe lever may move. Said lever is capable of movement on the bracketonly as far forwardly as shown in Fig. at, because at that point theouter edge of therear end of the bracket 13 engages the shoulder at thepoint where the parts of the lever are separated, as clearly shown inFig. 4, and the rearward movement of this lever is limited to the pointshown in Fig. 5, because when in this position the upper part of theinner end of the lever strikes againstthe twisted portion of the bracket13, as clearly shown in Fig.5. In this connection I have provided meanswhereby the lever 16 is normally held to the forward limit of movement,as follows: The numeral 18 indicates a strap secured to the frame 10 infront of the bracket 13, and a contractile coil-spring 19 is attached tothe outer end of the strap 18 and also to a pin 20, attached to thelever 16, and when said lever is forced rearwardly against the pressureof the spring 19 the said spring will return it as soon as the pressureis removed. Pivoted to the outer end of the lever 16 is a hanger 21,having a bolt 22 passed through its lower end.

The numeral 23 indicates the marker-arm, having at one end a series ofopenings 21- to receive the bolt 22. As clearly shown in Fig. 9, I haveprovided a sleeve 25 to be passed through one of the openings 24 and toreceive the bolt 22, so that the marker-arm may be firmly connected withthe hanger,and yet may freely swing upon the sleeve, and Ihave provideda number of the openings 24-, so that the marker-arm may be connectedwith the hanger at different points.

Fixed to the outer end of the marker-arm is the marker-blade 26, whichbladeis shaped as follows: Assuming the marker-arm to be in position atright angles to the longitudinal center of the machine, thebladeinclines downwardly and toward the center portion of the arm, andits lower edge, which rests upon the ground-surface, inclines toward thelongitudinal center of the machine-frame at a point in the rear of themachine, so that as the marker-blade is being advanced overtheground-surface in said position it will readily ride over theground-surface, no matter how rough or uneven the ground-surface may be,and will ride out of furrows extending at right angles to the line ofadvance. Furthermore, the incline of the lower edge of the blade willtend to hold the marker-arm atits rearward limit of movement.

The referencentnneral 27 indicates a rope having its end portions passedthrough the outer ends of the marker-arms and adjustablyheld to themarker-arms by means of the bolts 28, passed through the marker-arms,and having the hooks 29 on one end to receive and secure the end portionof the rope against the marker arm. Obviously by tightening the nut 30to the bolt the rope may be firmly clamped to the marker-arm. This ropeis of such length that when one arm is at right angles to themachine-frame the other arm will be substantially parallel therewith, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 1, and the rope is supported on themachine-frame as follows: Secured to the front end of the machineframeare the brackets 31 and projecting downwardly and then rearwardlytherefrom. Pivoted to the ends of the brackets 31 are theroller-supports 32, capable of swinging freely in a vertical plane, andmounted in each of these roller-supports is a grooved roller 33, overwhich the rope 27 passes. These rollersupports 32 are preferably placedin such a position that when the marker-arms are being IKO carriedsubstantially parallel with the machine-frame the rope will passstraight from the marker-arm over the adjacent roller However, the saidroller-holder is made capable of swingin in a vertical plane, so that ifthe marker-arm should be moved forwardly or rearwardly relative to theroller the roller-- support will move forwardly or rearwardly tocorrespond therewith, so that the rope may always pass in a straightline from the marker over the roller 33. This obviously prevents wearupon the rope, such as would be occasioned if the marker-arm should bemoved forwardly and rearwardly relative to the roller and the rollercould not adjnstitself to the position of the rope.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6 and 10 I dispense with the spring19 and substitute therefor a rigid strap 3- having in one end a slot 35and a round opening 36 and having in its other end a series of openings37. The front end of the strap 34 is secured to the machine-frame bymeans of a bolt 38, which may be passed through either the slot 35 orthe opening 36, and the lower end of the strap 34- passes between theparts of the lever 16, and a wooden pin 39 is passed through the leverand through one of the openings 37. tVhen this form of the device isused and assuming that the marker-arm strikes an unyielding obstruction,the pin 39 may break, and thus permit the marker-arm to move rearwardlywithout breaking the other parts of the device, or if the bolt 38 hasbeen passed through the slot 35 the strap 34: may become disengaged fromthe bolt 35, so that in either case the other parts of the device willnot become bent or broken, and if the pin 39 is broken or the strap isdetached from the bolt 38 this may be easily repaired or adjusted, sothat the operator may proceed with his work.

In practical use and assuming the device to be attached to amachine-frame and assuming, further, that the machine is advancing overthe ground-surface one of the arms will be held in position at rightangles to the machine-frame and the other arm will be held parallel withthe machine-frame, on account of the pull of the dragging-arm upon therope 27. When the machine reaches the end of the field, the machine isturned around in a direction toward the arm thatstands at right anglesthereto, the pivotal point of the machine being at about the centerbetween its two wheels 11. As the machine thus turns the front of themachine will move toward the arm that is at right angles to themachine-frame, and as this arm is held stationary on account of itsblade resting on the ground-surface the rope 27 will be slackened andthe forward end of the other arm will drop to the ground, and as themachine further turns its front end will move away from the marker-armthat was previously parallel therewith toward the other marker-arm untilthe position of the marker-arms relative to the machine-frame has beenreversed. It is customary in planting corn to dig a furrow at the end ofthe field at right angles to the rows being planted, and when turning inthis manner one of the marker-arms is advanced over this furrow, and byhaving the blade of the marker-arm inclined under the markerarm itobviously rides readily over this furrow. In the event that themarkerarm should strike any fixed obstruction the spring 19 will yield,so that the marker-arm may either clear the obstruction or the machinemay be stopped before any of the attachment is broken, and as soon asthe marker-arm passes the obstruction the spring will return it to itsnormal position. The hanger-21 at the end of the arm-supporting leversis necessarily pivoted to the lever, so that the said levers may alwaysmaintain their normal position relative to the machine-frame, and yetthe marker-arms may swing from a position parallel with the frame to aposition at right angles thereto. Obviously the marker-arms willautomatically reverse their position as the machine is turned at eachend of the row, the one moving from a position at right angles to themachine-frame to a position above the ground and parallel with themachineframe and the other .moving from a position I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. The combination with a planting-machine, of two marker-arms pivotallyconnected with the machine-frame, brackets secured to the front portionsof the machine-frame, roller-supports pivoted to said brackets andcapable of swinging in a vertical plane, a roller carried by saidsupports, and a flexible connecting device attached at its ends to themarker-arms and passed through said rollers.

2. The combination with a corn-planter of two brackets attached to themachine-frame, two levers pivoted to the brackets to swing in ahorizontal plane, two hangers pivoted to the outer ends of said loversto swing in a horizontal plane relative to the levers, means foryieldingly holding said levers to position substantially at right anglesto the machineframe, marker-arms pivoted to said hangers attheir-forward limit of movement, hangers pivoted at the outer ends ofsaid levers to swing in a horizontal plane, marker-arms pivoted to saidhangers to swing in a vertical plane, markers on the end of themarkerarms, a flexible connecting device attached to said marker-arms,grooved rollers for supporting said flexible connecting device.

4. In a machine of the class described the combination of a marker-arm,a fiat markerblade attached to the marker-arm inclined downwardly andtoward the center of the marker-arm and having its lower edge inclinedfrom front to rear, so that its rear edge is farthest from the end ofthe marker-arm to which the blade is attached, for the purposes stated.

5. The combination with a corn-planter of two marker-arms pivotallyconnected with the machine-frame, grooved rollersconnected with themachine-frame and a flexible connecting device passed over said groovedrollers and having its ends extended through the marker-arms and bolts,28, passed through the marker-arms, each bolt having a hook, 29, on itsend to receive the end portion of the flexible connecting device toclamp the IIO flexible connecting device to the side of the Imarker-arm.

LEROY J. LINDSAY.

Witnesses:

J. W. ARMSTRONG, J. H. HOUK.

